Pneumatic dispatch tube apparatus



March 14, 1933. I J NEEDHAM 1,900,946

PNEUMATIC DISPATCH TUBE APPARATUS Original Filed April 2, 1930 INVENTOR JOHN T. NEEDHAM BY m 'qmm ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 14, 19 33 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN T. NEE-DRAM, or NORTH PLAINFIELR'NEW JERSEY, ssIeNon, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro PNEUMATIC TUBE SUPPLY co. or DELAWARE PNEUMATIC DISPATCH TUBE APPARATUS Application filed April 2, 1930, Serial vice and ensure their propulsionthrough the device without interruption; and to provide such a device designed to facilitate the insertion of the carriers.

In the drawing,

Fig. -1 is a vertical section through the terminal device showing it opened for the insertion of a carrier; V

Fig. 2 a view similar to Fig. 1 showing device closed; 7

Fig. 3 a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and I I Fig. 4 an outer face view of the door of the device. i

The structure of the terminal device includes a casing or body 1 which forms a straight tubular section or barrel 2 adapted to be joined at its opposite ends to two alming sections 3 of a pneumatic dispatch tube. For this purpose the barrel is integrally formed with flanges 4 at its ends which abut flanged collars 5 uponthe ends of the tube sections and are secured thereto in any suitable manner. In the present instance the tube sections are elliptical in crosssection and the barrel 2 is similarly formed to define a carrier passage conforming to that of the tube sections. This cross sectional form may be varied, however.

At one side the barrel 2 isformed with a box-like extension 6 and with an elongated entrance opening for the insertion of carriers opening, into said extension. This opening extends from the upper end of the barrel to a point near the lower end thereofand is defined by a straight, narrow, longitudinal shoulder 7 and atransverse shoulder 8 which slants downwardly and outwardly. For closing said entrance opening a wall member 9 is provided. The latter is of segmental form and is adapted to entirely fill the enthe No. 441,082.- Renewed July 29, 1932.

trance opening and complete the elliptical carrier passage through the casing. Along is-adapted to swing outward in the compartment 1-2, and an electric switch 14' is housed in the compartment 13. Compartment 12 is provided with an outwardly and downwardly directed doorway which. is framed by a flat inclined shoulder 15 formed upon the casing. For closing the doorway a door 16 is hinged to the casing as at 17, at the outer side of the shoulder 15., At its inner-face the door has a marginal facing or gasket 18 .of felt or other suitable compressible material to bear againstthe shoulder or seat 15, around the doorway.

Upon the outer face of said door is a latch bar19 which is slidably held to the door by guides 20. A handle-21 for operating the latchand for swinging the door to open and closed positionsis pivoted at one end upon a pin 22 carried by the door. At its pivoted,

end said handle straddles one end of thelatch bar and the latter is formed with a notch 23 in which the handle is operatively engaged at a point spaced slightlyfrom the pivot pin 21. To provide clearance for the pin and permit the latch bar to slide, the bar is formed with a slot 24. At its outer end the baris adapted to engage .in a notched keeper lug 25 formed upon the casing at the inner or lower side of the doorway to hold thedoor closed. Also the end of the latch bar engaging in the keeper is wedge-shaped so that when the bar is projected the gasket 18 will be pressed against the seat 15 to make anairtight closure. By swinging the handle 20 in ward the door is closed and the latch bar projected, and by swinging the handle outward the bar is first retracted and then the door is swung outward, due to the lost motion connection between the handle and the door.

Between the door and the wall member 7 there is an operative connection for opening and closing said member along with the door. Near its lower end the wall member carries an outwardly extending arm 26 which carries a roller 27. The latter engages in an elongated slot formed by a strip 28 secured to the inner face of the door and completing a lost motion operative connection between the door and the wall member. Thereby when the door is swung open the wall member is swung outward until it is stopped by contact with theouter edge of the doorway. The door then occupies an unobstructing postion entirely outside of the wall. member and the latter is disposed in an oblique position and serves as a guide to direct a carrier upwardly and inwardly through the doorway and the entrance of the barrel 2. lVhen the door is swung to closed position and latched the wall member is also held in closed position by engagement of the roller 27 with the inner face of the door.

The switch 14 comprises two normally separated spring contact fingers 29 which are mounted upon an insulation block 30 supported within the compartment 13. A switch operating plunger rod. 31 is slidably mounted in guides 32 in said compartment and is adapted to force one of the fingers 29 in contact with the other when shifted inward. The hinge mounting 17 of the door includes a pintle sleeve carried thereby and formed with a cam face 33 which engages the lower end of the rod 31 and forces the latter upwarc. to close the switch when the door is opened. Closing of the switch causes the operation of electrically operated means, not shown, for causing a forced flow of air through the dispatch tube to propel the carriers. To give access to the switch the front wall of the compartment 13 is formed with a doorway 34. Along the edges of said doorway are guides 35 which slidably support a closure plate 36.

Receiving terminal devices used heretofore have not, when closed, defined a proper passage therethrough for the carriers, for the reason that the terminal casing leaves an air space around the carrier. Consequently when a carrier inserted at another station and passing along the tube line reaches an intermediate terminal casing the air propelling said carrier flows past it and the carrier often stalls at this point. My improved terminal device is designed to entirely avoid this difficulty. lVhen the terminal is closed a proper carrier passage is defined, conforming accurately to that of the dispatch tube and with substantially airtight walls. The carriers will therefore pass along the tube past one or more of such terminals, without interruption. In addition, the terminal may be readily opened and is designed to facilitate the insertion of carriers.

Vhile I have shown and described a very satisfactory form of my invention I do not wish to be limited strictly to this disclosure but reserve the right to make such changes as will lie within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A terminal device for the insertion of carriers into a pneumatic dispatch tube line, comprising a tubular casing adapted to be interposed between and joined at its ends to the adjacent ends of two sections of a pneumatic dispatch tube line to form a passage for conducting carriers from one of said tube sections to the other, said casing having a uniform internal cross section at all points in its length and having a segmental wall portion shiftably mounted for movement to a position to permit the insertion of carriers into the carrier passage through the opening in the casing afforded by displacement of said wall portion; and means to releasably hold said segmental wall portion in position to close said opening.

2. A terminal device for the insertion of carriers into a pneumatic dispatch tube, comprising a tubular casing provided with a door for insertion of carriers and open ends adapted to be joined to two sections of a pneumatic dispatch tube line to form a connecting passage for conducting carriers from one of said tube sections to the other, said casing having a uniform internal cross section from end to end when its door is closed to ensure the propulsion of carriers through the device from one tube section to the other without interruption.

3. A terminal device for the insertion of carriers into a pneumatic dispatch tube, comprising a tubular casing provided with a door for insertion of carriers and open ends adapted to be joined to two sections of a pneumatic dispatch tube line to form a connecting passage for conducting carriers from one of said tube sections to the other, said casing having a uniform internal cross section from end to end wnen its door is closed to ensure the propulsion of carriers through the device from one tube section to the other without interruption, said casing door being hinged to swing about an axis extending transversely of the carrier passage therethrough, and means for latching the door in closed position.

t. A terminal device for the insertion of carriers into a pneumatic dispatch tube, comprising a union casing for connecting aligned ends of two adjacent tube sections and formed to define a straight passage for conducting carriers from one tube section to the other, said casing having a segmental shiftable wall portion defining part of said passage and also having a uniform internal cross section throughout the length of the said passage; a pivotal mounting for said wall portion adapting it. to swing outward to open the passage for the insertion of a carrier andto swing inward to closed position; and means to limit out-ward swinging of the wall portion whereby the wall portion, when in open position, forms a guide oblique to the tube line to direct carriers into the passage.

5. A terminal device for the insertion of carriers into a pneumatic dispatch tube, comprising a tubular union casing for joining two sections of a pneumatic dispatch tube line and formed to define a passage for conducting carriers from one of said tube sections to the other, said casing having a segmental wall portion defining part of said passage; means shiftably supporting said wall portion for movement to open the passage for the insertion of carriers thereinto; a housing at one side of the casing enclosing the shiftable wall portion; a shiftably mounted door for said housing for the insertion of carriers; and an operative connection between said door and the shiftable wall portion of the union casing to shift the latter to open and closed positions as the door is opened and closed. a

6. A terminal device for the insertion of carriers into a pneumatic dispatch tubeline, comprising a tubular union casing for joining two sections of a pneumatic dispatch tube line and formed to define a carrier passage of uniform cross section along its length for conducting carriers from one of said tube sections to the other, said casing having a wall portion defining part of said passage;

means shiftably supporting said wall portion for movement to open the passage for the insertion of carriers thereinto; a housingv at one side of the casing enclosing the shiftable wall portion; a shiftably mounted door for said housing for the insertion of carriers; an operative connection between said door and the shiftable wall portion of the union casing to shift the latter to open and closed positions as the door is opened and closed; and locking means to releasably hold said door and wall portion in closed position.

7. A terminal device for'the insertionof carriers into a pneumatic dispatch tube line, comprising a union casing for joining a pair of aligned dispatch tube sections and formed to define a straight passage of uniform cross 1 section for conducting carriers from one tube section to the other, said casing having a shiftable, segmental wall portion defining part of said passage; a pivotal mounting for said wall portion adapting it to swing outward to open the passage for the insertion of carriers and to swing inward to closed position; a housing at one side of the casing enclosing said wall portion and permitting it to swing to open position, said housing having a doorway for the insertion of the carriers; a hinged door forsaid doorway; an operative connection between said door and the shiftable wall portion toshift the latter to open and closed positions as the door is opened and closed; and releasable means to hold the door and wall portion closed, said shiftable wall portion extending obliquely from the doorway to the passage when said door is opened to form a guide for directing carriers into the passage.

8. A terminal device for the insertion of carriers into a pneumatic dispatch tube line, comprising a union casing for joining two sections of a pneumatic dispatch tube line and formed to define a passage for conducting carriers from one of said tube sections to the other, said casing having a segmental wall portion defining part of said passage; means shiftably supporting said wall portion for movement to open the passage for the insertion of carriers thereinto; a housing at one side of the casing enclosing the shiftable wall portion; a shiftably mounted door for said housing for the insertion of carriers; an operative connection between said door and the shiftable wall portion of the union casing to shiftthe latter to open and closed positions as the door is opened and closed;

latch means shiftably mounted upon the door to releasably hold it closed; a handle for opening and closing the door; and an operative connection between said handle and the latch means for releasing the latter.

9. In a pneumatic dispatchtube line,-two dispatch tube sections; a terminal device for the insertion of carriers into said tube line comprising a union casing joining said. tube sections and formed to define a passage having the same cross'section as said tube sections for conducting carriers from one of said tube sections to the other, said casing having a wallportion definingipart of said passage; means shiftably supporting said wall portion for movement to open the passage for the insertion of carriers thereinto; an extension upon said casing forming a housing for the wall portion; a shiftably mounted door for said housing, for the insertion of carriers; an operative connection between said door and the wall portion toshift the latter to open and closed positions as the door is'opened and closed; an electric switch for controlling the flow of air through the tube line mounted within said casing extension; and an operative connection between the door and said switch to close the switch when the door is opened.

10; A terminal device for the insertion of carriers into a pneumatic dispatch tube line, comprising a casing for joining two sections of a pneumatic dispatch-tube line and formed to define a passage of uniform cross section for conducting carriers from one of said tube sections to the other, said casing having a wall portion defining part of said passage; means shiftably supporting said wall portion for movement to open said passage for the insertion of carriers thereinto; locking meansposed, and a tubular union of identical round internal cross section joining said adjacent ends of the tube sections and combining with them to define a continuous fiush carrier passage of uniform cross section for fitting a carrier transmitted along said passage and preventing a flow of air past the carrier when it enters the union, said union having a segmental side wall portion thereof shiftable outward to afford an aperture in the tube line for the insertion of a carrier into the line, and means to releasably hold said segmental portion in closed position.

12. In a pneumatic dispatch tube line. two dispatch tube sections of round internal or section disposed with their adjacent ends opposed, and a tubular union of identical round internal cross section joining said adjacent ends of the tube sections and combining therewith to define a continuous flush carrier passage of uniform cross section for fitting a carrier transmitted along said passage and preventing a flow of air past the carrier when it enters the union, said union having a segmental side wall portion hinged at one end to swing outward about an axis extending transversely of the tube line to aflord a aperture in the line for the insertion of a carrier, the segmental portion and the body of the union having edges abutting around said aperture in the closed position of said portion. and means to releasablv hold the segmental portion in closed position.

13. In a pneumatic dispatch tube line. two dispatch tube sections of round internal cross section disposed with their adjacent ends opposed, and a tubular union of identical round internal cross section joining said adjacent ends of the tube sections and combining therewith to define a continuous flush carrier passage of uniform cross section for fitting a carrier transmitted along said passage and preventing a flow of air past the carrier when it enters the union, said union having a segmental side wall portion hinged at one end to swing outward about an axis extending transversely of the tube line to afford an aperture in the line for the insertion of a carrier, the segmental portion and the body of the union having edges abut ting around said aperture in the closed position of said portion and said abutting edges being inclined With reference to the tube line at the free end of said portion for close fitting of the edges, and means to releasably hold the segmental portion in closed position.

1 A length of pneumatic dispatch tube line defining a carrier passage of round uniform cross section; and a shiftably mounted segmental wall portion at an intermediate point in the length of the carrier passage forming a flush part of said passage and shiftable to open and closed position for inserting carriers into the passage and for closing the passage to prevent escape of air past a carrier dispatched along the passage past the closed wall portion.

15. A length of pneumatic dispatch tube line having a shift-ably mounted door affording access to the carrier passage in the line; a housing enclosing said door; a shiftably mounted door for said housing; and an operative connection between said housing door and said tube line door for shifting the latter to open position as the housing door is opened, for inserting carriers past both doors, and shifting the tube line door to closed position when. the housing door is closed.

16. A length of pneumatic dispatch tube line having a shiftably mounted door at an intermediate point in its length affording access to the carrier passage: a housing enclosing said door; a shiftably mounted door for said housing; an operative connection between said housing door and tube line door for shifting the latter to open position when the housing door is open for inserting carriers past both doors; and releasable locking means for holding said doors closed.

17. A length of pneumatic dispatch tube line defining a carrier passage of uniform cross section; a shiftably mounted segmental wall portion at an intermediate point in the length of the carrier passage forming a flush part of said passage and shiftable to open position for insertion of carriers into the passage; a housing enclosing said wall portion; a shiftably mounted door for said housing; and an operative connection between said door and said wall portion for shifting the latter to open position when the door is opened, for insertion of carriers past both doors and into the carrier passage, and closing the wall portion when the door is closed.

18. A terminal device for the insertion of carriers into a pneumatic dispatch tube, comprising a tubular union casing for joining two sections of a pneumatic dispatch tube line and formed to define a passage for conducting carriers from one of said tube sections to the other, said casing having a segmental wall portion defining part of said passage and shiftably mounted to open the passage for insertion of carriers; a housing at one side of the casing enclosing the shiftable wall portion; a shiftably mounted door for said housing for insertion of carriers; an operative connection between said door and said shiftable wall portion of the casing to shift the latter to open and closed position as the door is opened and closed; releasable locking means to hold said door closed and to hold said wall portion closed through the medium of said operative connection between the door and wall portion; and a handle for opening and closing the door, said handle being operatively connected to said locking means and mounted for shifting relatively to the door for locking and releasing said locking means. 7

19. A terminal device for the insertion of carriers into a pneumatic dispatch tube, comprising a tubular union casing for joining two sections of a pneumatic dispatch tube and formed to define a passage for conducting carriers from one of said tube sections to the other, said casing having a segmental wall portion defining part of said passage and shiftably mounted to open the passage for insertion of carriers; a housing carried by the casing at one'side thereof and form.- ing a switch compartment and a compartment in which said wall portion is enclosed when in closed position; a shiftably mounted door for said second compartment; an operative connection between said door and wall portion to open and close the latter when the door is opened and closed; an electric switch enclosed in said switch compartment to con trol the flow of air through the dispatch tube; and an operative connection between said door and switch to close the switch When the door is opened.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature.

JOHN T. NEEDHAM. 

